


Cabin Conversations

by Peridot_Lyoness



Category: Black Dagger Brotherhood - J. R. Ward
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-13 12:02:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11184711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peridot_Lyoness/pseuds/Peridot_Lyoness
Summary: One more short story featuring Vishous and Butch. Where does the vampire go when he needs to decompress? What happens when we bring the cop along?This takes place roughly during the events of LR. It's a little AU as Marissa doesn't factor (much!) in this story.





	Cabin Conversations

**Author's Note:**

> These fantastic characters and this incredible world belong to the wonderful mind of JR Ward. There are no personal pecuniary benefits associated with this work. I'm just bringing the guys out to play ;)

"Hey, Butch? Wanna get outta here?" the vampire asked the cop. Butch's large body was currently horizontal on the black leather couch, watching a Willis classic, tub of popcorn sitting on his abdomen and glass of Lag on the floor. On this night, Vishous seemed more insulated than usual. The vampire had been sitting in front of his Toys for hours, but his smart eyes had that far-away, distracted look, one Butch knew well. The look that typically led to the sacrifice of several Goose soldiers before the day was over.

The streets had been quiet for the last few weeks. Who knew what the Lessening Society was planning next? Even the rotation schedule was conspiring to drive them bat shit crazy. Tonight was their second night off in a row, and after spending hours in the gym, they had returned to the Pit to hang before passing out from a sweet blend of fatigue and alcohol. At least they were heading out to DO something. It'd be good for Vishous to get a change of scenery. And, truth be told, after all the drama going on with Marissa, it'd do him good too. 'Sides, he could recite almost every line of the old movie verbatim.

Man, that female was driving him crazy. Between all the "will we, won't we " shit, he didn't know if he was coming or going. Marissa had made it very clear that she wouldn't be with him if he fought in the war. But how could he not? It was a matter of destiny- inevitable. He could not stop being the Dhestroyer; further, he didn't want to. Butch O'Neal had a job to do, and he was eager to do it. The Omega had tried to use him to destroy his true family, the Brotherhood. The dark specter was going to pay for letting him go .

"Sure, buddy", the cop replied as he got up, shaking off some stray kernels from the dark gray t-shirt and faded blue jeans he wore. After putting the booze away, Butch reached for his weapon harness, sliding in a pair of S&Ws. "Where are we going?" he asked, as he searched for his leather jacket.  

"You won't need much fire power, cop. I don't anticipate any problems where we are heading", the vampire answered distractedly, pulling up his leathers and feeling up the inside pockets on his coat. "It's not too far from here".

As the cop dropped the harness, he slid his standard Glock on his back and wondered about their destination. V had been distant for several days. Butch figured he'd spill his guts whenever he was good and ready. If there was one thing the former detective had learned about his best friend is that it was better not to spook him when he was chewing on something. The best he could do was to be there for containment when the vampire chose to spit it out. One way or another.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

Butch and Vishous headed north into the cold night, Biggie keeping them company in the Escalade's wide cabin. The conversation quickly lagged into a comfortable silence, the big vehicle greedily slurping up the miles on the smooth asphalt. Butch still had no idea where they were heading, but decided to silently follow V wherever he was leading.

The vampire turned into an unpaved road overgrown with grass and saplings. Butch was glad to be riding on 6,000 pounds of rubber and steel; the road could barely be identified as such. Tall trees flanked their passage on the right and the left. Luckily, the full moon was out in all its glory- the high beams of the truck were eaten by the abysmal darkness surrounding them. After about three miles in, the vampire parked the vehicle in a small, round clearing.

Butch turned his head around and waited for Vishous to talk.

"We walk from here", V said as he opened the Escalade's door to the chilly night air. The ex-detective did the same. He inspected the open sky, but didn't see any of the fluffy, reddish snow clouds typical of this time of the year. All that greeted him was an infinite vault of shiny, twinkly lights.

Both males abandoned the vehicle and set out on a foot path that had long been overtaken by the greenery around. The tree coverage above was very thick. Old root systems, interconnected like veins under the compact soil, rose up along the way, and if it wasn't for his superior vampire sight, Butch was sure he'd have fallen on his face already. Five times over.  

"So, where are we heading, roomie?" the ex-cop said, rubbing his hands together and pushing them deep into this pockets. "Not that I don't appreciate the midnight nature walk, but there is not a lot of forest in Boston and my lungs are not used to all this fresh O2, feel me? Wouldn't want to overload or some shit".

"You can't overload on oxygen, you moron. The place is just ahead. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can warm up", the vampire stated.

Vishous returned to the fast pace he had been setting on a path better suited for four-legged creatures. Butch's ears picked up the burble of running water nearby. He could discern other noises, some critters scurrying away. He hoped those were cute little furry things getting out of the way and that nothing larger followed them on this trek. Soon, the trees started thinning out. The going became a tad easier. Finally, the forest abruptly opened to a small wooden cabin. The structure looked dark and forlorn from the outside, raw wood holding a small, empty porch together. Three wide steps on the front that looked surprisingly solid gave access to the sturdy front door. To the right of the cabin there was a wide fallen log next to a fire pit. Further down, Butch noticed what seemed to be an old-fashioned water well with a crank and a worn bucket.

Vishous headed straight for the porch, speedily covering the distance and sprinting up the steps. One click later, the door cricked open. V cocked his head to the side, indicating to the cop to follow him in. The air inside smelled a little stale. A few strategically placed candles came to life, courtesy of his host, and the cop observed that, although rustic, the cabin was well built. It was very small inside, but instead of cramped, it felt cozy. The space was sparsely furnished. It had a couple of simple chairs, some cushions and a low table. A large, rich rug graced the front of a rough stone fireplace. There was a closed door to the left. To the right, there appeared to be a long counter of sorts, blackened pots hanging above it. Butch quickly noted there were no windows.

Before the ex-cop was able to ask about the place, the vampire walked to the front door, leaning one arm on the sturdy frame. He lighted one of his hand rolled, sucked slowly as if steeling himself, and started to talk.

"My brother Darius helped me buy this land about...oh, 80 years ago or so. It borders his own property on the northwest side of the forest surrounding the mansion. Eventually, I planned to build on it also. Right now, I'm not sure what to do with it".

"It seems to be really nice land. You have water nearby. I can hear the river", said the cop, voice drifting from inside the structure.

"It is. Almost 1,300 acres. The river cuts across it, right through the middle. D thought one day I might take a shellan, and this way, we wouldn't be too far from each other. He always wanted the brotherhood to be together like we are now- family. He built the mansion for that purpose. We were all too stubborn to see the benefits of it until... well, 'till Wrath ascended and consolidated the brotherhood's base of operations last year".

This was the longest string of sentences Butch had heard the vampire speak in a long while. He dared not interrupt. Vishous walked across the porch and sat on the front steps, long arms cradling his knees close to his body to conserve heat. The cop followed suit and dropped down next to him. The vampire looked up to the starry sky and the fat, clear moon as he continued.

"D, Tohr and I built this together. Cleared out the land, cut down the trees. Darius liked to work with his hands as much as he did with his mind. I used to come here when things got too crazy and I needed get lost for a couple of days. Fish, clean out the perimeter, cut down some fire wood. It isn't much, but..." The vampire shrugged. "Haven't been back after he died". There was a slight pause as V lit up again. "Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of his death. You remember, Butch?" he asked as he bumped the ex-cop with his shoulder. "I believe you handled the investigation. We didn't have a Fade ceremony for him- no ashes to release after the explosion. D was solid, cop. You'd have liked him. He was the better of all of us".

As the vampire slipped into a thoughtful silence, the cop took a long look at his friend. " _Ah, so this was what this has been about"_ , the cop thought. He glanced right and left, scanning the surroundings. The place was an island in the middle of nowhere and had none of the modern comforts. The big trees were growing almost at its doorstep, slowly reclaiming their territory. It was rough, a little clear patch wrestled away from the forest. Kind of like the male himself.

The vampire shook his head and rose to his full height, putting his cigarette out with the toe of his shitkicker. "Let me go get some wood so we can get a nice fire going inside. Sun will be up soon", Vishous stated.

Butch straightened and removed the cricks from his neck and shoulders. "Lead the way" the cop indicated with his right hand as he followed V.

The vampire entered a smaller structure erected behind some trees to the right that the cop had failed to see before. Inside, there were all kinds of tools, some of them rusted beyond any hope of repair. There were also several straight cords of firewood stacked highly. Amazingly, the building had kept some wood dry and in good condition. The vampire slipped into another one of his long silences as each man carried 2 cords into the lonely little cabin. V took his time building the fire. Afterwards, he settled on the floor in front of the fireplace, long legs folded underneath his body, while Butch settled on one of the wood chairs. The vampire continued his tale.

"Darius was the only one who could talk some sense into Wrath when he went into one of his rampages. Beth reminds me so much of him at times. Man, I love that female! My brother would have been so proud of her. D always wanted Wrath to ascend to the throne and lead the race. And was damn vocal about it."

"We broke more than one fight over that" the vampire chuckled sadly, his goatee going up and down lopsidedly. "Wrath certainly didn't appreciate the frequent reminders".

"Wrath always insisted that he served the race better by exterminating our enemies. I agreed with Darius, but I could totally understand where my brother was coming from too. That crown is mighty heavy, cop. True?"

The vampire peeked sideways at the cop quickly but didn't wait for him to reply. Butch decided to accompany V in front of the fire, stretching his tired legs on the rug next to his best friend.

"More like a ball and chain" Butch commented dryly.

Vishous continued. "But D knew our people needed hope. Leadership. Direction. Continuity, tradition. Someone watching out for you and your family, mediating, dispensing law and order."

Another pause.

"Darius was family, cop. He was born glymera, but he was our brother. He was my brother. It was a good thing I found him when I did too. I was working in Venice". The vampire lit another hand rolled. "I had heard about him in the Bloodletter's camp. Followed his trail, working here and there until I could find him. He convinced me to join him and Tohr in the fight. D actually proposed me for the brotherhood. You knew that?" He asked, squeezing one of the cop's massive biceps. "He always made sure we were all tight. Tohr and him were thick as thieves. He always butted heads with Wrath, but who the hell hasn't? Even Z respected the hell out of him. Me and D? We were cool. He was a decent male. Pretty handy with the daggers too. We were tight, cop. We were friends".

After this long discourse, the vampire seemed to run out of words. He sat like a statue in front of the fire, back rod-straight, legs folded, unblinking, seemingly searching for answers in the dancing flames. Butch left him to his thoughts. His friend was hurting. Sometimes, letting the pain go through unobstructed was the best one could do in these circumstances. _"Life is bitchingly unfair_ ", the cop thought. Beth missed out on meeting a wonderful, loving dad who provided magnificently for her well-being even from the grave. The brothers lost a mentor and great friend. The race had lost a great warrior. Butch considered his own loses too. Christ, what an awful waste! What a shame!

The ex-detective squeezed the back of the vampire's neck to break him out of such wretched ruminations. He placed an arm across the male's shoulders, bringing him in for a side hug. While placing a heavy palm right on top of the vampire's sternum, he murmured next to Vishous' ear in a thick, low voice: "I am you friend, V. I am your family". 

Those words seemed to cut through the fog in the vampire's skull. His body deflated like a balloon that had been pierced. He exhaled, emptying his lungs completely. The vampire leaned on his best friend, wrapping an arm around Butch's body and laying his head on the broad shoulder. Butch rubbed the vampire's neck, swaying a little. Vishous parked his nose near the crook of Butch's neck and inhaled delicately, finding the subtle scent of night air and CK's Obsession pleasing. The cop could not explain whether he was guided or tempted to complete his next action. He took V by the nape, guiding his head toward him. Softly, he touched his lips to the vampire's, as tenderly as if kissing a rose petal. Vishous softly sighed and leaned on his best friend. Butch continued lightly joining his lips to the vampire's, massaging the back of the male's neck and smattering rose petal kisses all over the chiseled cheeks and brows. He murmured his condolences against the lush lips, heartfelt words of consolation and support emanating from his chest.

The sun was brightly shining above, but the cabin was built like a drum. Butch laid down on the fluffy rug, pulling Vishous down with him. When Butch opened his arms wide, V complied, holding on to him as to a lifeline. The cop laid the precious head on his thick chest, caressing the short hairs on Vishous' nape and running his hand up and down the strong back. Trapped by sunlight, both males spent the day in the cabin, sleeping closely in front of the fire.


End file.
